


Unprepared and Overwhelmed

by whaleofataleteller



Category: Star Wars
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Language, original character death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 17:12:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16896660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whaleofataleteller/pseuds/whaleofataleteller
Summary: General Armitage Hux never wanted anything more than to serve the First Order.  He was diligent, hard-working, and never wavered in his loyalty.  Will that still be the case when fate decides to place a small little pink bundle in his arms?





	1. Chapter 1

A signature. That was all they needed, that was all Armitage Hux had to do and this whole mess would be put behind him.  One signature and he would have done right by the First Order, done the proper thing as he had always done.  The nurse patiently waited for him to sign, but then…

 

A cry.

 

A baby’s cry.

 

It paused Armitage’s hand, making him freeze before looking up at the nurse questioningly.  Was that…was that the child?

 

“Excuse me.”  The nurse said with a nervous smile before scuttling off towards the room down the hall.  “She must be hungry.”

 

_She._

 

Armitage nodded, not that it mattered, the nurse was already gone.  His eyes glanced back down to the form.  Just one signature, and the child… _she_ …she would be placed into the care of the Trooper Program. 

 

_His daughter._

 

The thought hit him hard, but he shook it away.  No, it wasn’t his daughter.  Biologically yes, but he was no father.  He had no preparation or want to be a father.  So, he just had to sign this paper and it was done. 

 

_I want to keep her.  I will move to our planet base if need be._

 

A long distant voice echoed in his mind.  A voice he hadn’t heard in months.  She had been just another officer, one who he had a beneficial relationship with.  That was how all of this started, an error with a contraceptive injection.  But Armitage made it clear he couldn’t be a father. 

 

Wouldn’t.

 

Lt. Machley understood his position.  She didn’t feel betrayed or angered at his decision, leaving it up to her.  In fact, she seemed a bit relieved that the general hadn’t told her that the child had to be placed in the Trooper program.  If she wanted to raise the child, it was her choice.  But after that conversation, she had kept her distance, unless they interacted in a professional setting. 

 

The general had watched her silently throughout the months, almost curious.  There were times he was tempted to reach out to have a question answered…like if it were a boy or a girl.  But it was best he didn’t know.  If he didn’t know, he wouldn’t grow attached. That was his choice, just like keeping the child was Machley’s. 

 

But it hadn’t been, had it.  Fate had other plans.  Armitage rubbed his rubbed his forehead as he still tried to understand what could have happened.  Machley, she…something went wrong…she didn’t make it.  He had gotten the news while he was in a meeting with Ren…Supreme Leader Ren…and had been rushed by a couple troopers to med bay.  The news hit him harder than he would have thought it would have, the news of her passing. 

 

Now the child had no mother. 

 

_The child still has a father._

 

No!  He couldn’t think like that.  He had duties, responsibilities.  And what kind of a bastard father would he make anyway?  This was best, Armitage had to tell himself.  This was for the best.  It made him nearly curse that the voice he heard in his head was his own father’s, the strongest reasoning in his mind why he couldn’t ever be a father.    

 

_Just sign._

 

The cries still sounded from down the hall, making Armitage’s brow furrow together, glancing away from the papers and to the slightly ajar door.  Why was she still crying?  Was the nurse that incompetent in her job that she couldn’t tend to his child.

 

 _The_ child… _the_ …not _his_ …

 

Armitage took a deep breath, keeping himself calm as he worked to detach.  No attachments, not a single one, that was the only way to survive in this place.  He couldn’t afford attachments, especially not a daughter. 

 

He found his eyes drifting back down to the door, curiosity spiking in him.  What was going on?  Without thinking of it, without even realizing it, his feet carried him down the hallway, leaving the forms on a passing counter without a thought. 

 

He approached the door, hearing the noise of her crying, followed by the nurse whispering words of comfort to her to try to appease her.  The nurse was turned to the side, but he couldn’t quite see her.  He didn’t know why, but he wanted to…

 

He pushed at the door, causing a bit of sound, making the nurse snap her head up.  “Is there something wrong General?”

 

He put on his mask of indifference before gesturing to the little bundle of pink.  “What is wrong?”  His indifference mask held up, but his indifference voice let out a bit more emotion than he would have liked. 

 

“She is very fussy.  I think she needs changing.”  She seemed to regard the bundle for a moment before turning to the General with a little grin.  “I didn’t even think to ask…would you like to hold her?  It would allow me to grab some supplies to change her.”

 

“I?  Would I what?”  Before he could even begin to process, the nurse had deposited a light pink bundle into the general’s unexpecting arms.  He struggled for a moment, panic setting in over if he dropped her.  The nurse adjusted his arms a bit before nodding with a look of satisfaction before leaving.

 

LEAVING!

 

Armitage Hux, the cold heart of the First Order, actually panicked and almost ran after the nurse.  But another cry came from the bundle making him freeze.  By the maker, did he hurt her?!  Why was she still upset?!

 

Armitage looked down, the first thing he noticed was the little tuft of pale red hair.  It was a mix, of both of her parents, his dark red hair and her mother’s blonde.  She had her face scrunched up as one of her hands came free from the bundle as she let out another cry. 

 

“Oh…oh, uh…hush now.”  He offered with a strangled look on his face.  Was that what he was supposed to say?  He kept looking up for the nurse, feeling exceedingly out of his element.  “Hush, hush, hush.  You’re…you’re alright.”  He said, just as the nurse had done earlier. 

 

But unlike earlier, the child began to quiet.  She seemed to regard his words for a moment, her face relaxing a bit as her eyes opened.

 

Blue.

 

It punched Armitage in the chest, doing something to him, to see his own eyes staring back at him in this little bundle.  It was his eyes…she had his eyes…she was—

 

Something brushed his hand, his thumb as he shifted his weight back and forth.  It was her hand, her little hand trying to grasp onto his thumb as she stared up at him.  Each of them seeming to regard the other with curiosity and mild panic. 

 

Armitage’s attention was solely on his daughter. 

 

_His daughter._

 

It resonated in his mind.  She had his eyes, she had his hair and a mix of her mother’s.  She didn’t have a mother anymore…but she had a father.  This…this changed—

 

_Nothing._

 

He sighed as the voice came back into his head, that familiar and hated voice that always was there to tell him of his duty.  But in this case, he heard his own unique voice.  It whispered words to him, thoughts and if he dared to admit it, dreams. 

 

Could he…

 

“My apologies, General.  I can take her back again.”  The nurse had walked in and started setting some things on the bed.  One of them was the clipboard with the paperwork.  It seemed to almost glow under the neon lights in the room. 

 

“If you would sign the papers, you will be all set.  I can take it from here and you won’t have to worry about it again.” 

 

_You won’t see her again._

 

His mind altered the last sentence.  There was something in him, building and building.  It was making him feel nauseous.  He wouldn’t see her again.  She would be put in the program, she would be trained, conditioned, she would be a trooper. 

 

“General.  I can take her so you can sign.”  The nurse reached out, but Armitage just tightened his hold on his daughter.

 

“No.”  He bit out, glaring down at the nurse as if she were nothing more than a bug.  “Those papers are no longer needed.  Get them out of my sight.  She will be coming home with me.” 

 

The gasp of shock was clear, but Armitage didn’t mind.  Instead, he turned his attention back down to the little bundle as she watched his thumb as he wiggled it. 

 

“General…I-I understand.  But…you are not…you…”

 

“Spit it out.”  He spoke coldly.

 

“You do not have the…materials…you need to keep her.”  The nurse was trying to reason.  Armitage knew she wanted to say ‘skills or ability’, but he let it slide.  Instead, he let his thumb still and watched as his daughter grabbed it in her tiny little hands, or grabbed it as well as she could. 

 

“Machley had planned on keeping her.  I will use those materials.” 

 

“Yes sir, but she was relocating to the new planetary base.” 

 

Excuses.  A deep, irritated sigh escaped him.  “Then I suggest you order them to be moved.  Until then, she will stay in your care.  I will be monitoring her progress _very_ closely.  Do you understand?” 

 

Armitage looked up and was a bit shocked to see the nurse smiling sweetly at him, almost if she was about to cry.  Why would she be about to cry?  What a nuisance. 

 

“Of course, sir.  And…you can visit her as often as you would like.”  The nurse seemed to gather her composure, clearing her throat as she reached out into the pile of papers, pulling out a single sheet.  She motioned the general over, making him look down over her shoulder to see what it was.

 

A birth certificate. 

 

“What is her name?”

 

Her name?  Armitage looked down, not realizing the baby…his daughter, had fallen asleep.  His daughter…

 

“Kira.” 

 

The nurse grinned widely.  “Lt. Machley would have been honored, to have her daughter named after her.”  The nurse turned, noting the name.  “Another Kira Machley to add—”

 

“No… Kira Hux.”


	2. Chapter 2

It would take a week, Armitage would find out later that first day, for all of the materials for Kira to be moved from the planetary base to the ship. One week. He had to get everything ready in just one week. 

He had his duties on the bridges, papers to sign, fires to put out, the usual things demanded of him through the First Order, plus the extra load of dealing with whatever the new Supreme Leader insisted he work on. But now he had a whole new list of duties. And in this case, he did make a literal list. It started with visiting Kira at least twice a day, then a list of other things got added with time.

Visit Kira (at least twice a day)  
Read the suggested books from the nurses  
“Baby proof” quarters  
Ensure ample amounts of formula, diapers, other necessities

It started out simply, but then it expanded, especially when he started reading the books. Each one had their own lists of To-do’s for first time parents. For example, it wasn’t enough just for him to visit Kira in Med Bay, but he needed to hold her, interact with her. Physical contact was important for child development, Armitage recalled from one book. Another was that he needed to speak to her, make her aware of his presence and acquaint her with his voice. 

This was how Armitage found himself in Med Bay, in his assigned chair in Kira’s “room”, holding her with one arm and the baby book in another. No one would say General Armitage Hux wasn’t efficient. Multi-tasking was the only way he would survive this. Besides, it seemed reading the daily debriefings on the ship were perfect for putting Kira to sleep after her feedings. 

He sighed as he turned the page, reading about how to properly “Baby proof”, making him roll his eyes. “The best way to check if you have properly Baby-proofed the home is to get on your hands and knees and crawl about, to see if you can identify any sharp corners or dangers. Hmm…well, I think I did a sufficient job…without having to resort to such things.” 

Armitage tuned and looked down when he heard a gurgle from Kira. Her little face was scrunched up for a moment before relaxing and looking up at him. Her eyes seemed to shine as she looked up to him, her face twisting in what could be called a grin before moving her arms around a bit. 

“You find it amusing, picturing me crawling about like that?” He raised an eyebrow at her, to fully chastise her, but the cold façade faded as he set the book down and reached his hand out to her. She immediately gripped his finger, just as she had the first time they had met. The only difference being that now he wasn’t wearing his gloves. Personal contact was important, so Armitage made sure that when he handled his daughter, the gloves came off. He wondered, for a moment, if his own father ever took things like that into consideration when he was a babe…

Armitage was pulled from his thoughts as he sniffed the air, trying to identify what was wrong. Something smelled strange, as if it were bad. But… 

“Ahh, you need changed.” He didn’t hesitate to rise up from the seat, walking over with Kira to the table and taking his time in changing her. The first couple times he had to do it, it was awful, but he had become a bit more acclimated. It wasn’t something he enjoyed, but he was adequate at it, and that was what mattered. 

Kira cooed up at him, attempting to wiggle as Armitage fought against a button on her onesie. “Now, be still.” He laid a gentle hand on her stomach, keeping her still for a moment before going back to the button. “Good girl.” He spoke softly.

He glanced a look back at the book, gulping as he turned to look over his shoulder at the door. He was all alone, no one would see or notice if he took just a moment… Armitage leaned down, lifting Kira carefully so she was nestled onto his chest and shoulder. “You are a very good little girl, I would expect nothing else from my daughter.” He praised her again, a soft grin playing on his lips. 

He gave her a couple little bounces, taking a bit of pride in getting her to start cooing again. “So vocal. Soon you will be giving the troops orders, have them running about.” He joked, making himself laugh. “I’ll have to get you a little captain’s outfit, make you look the part.” Personal contact, that was what he was providing…his mind would say that, but his heart…

He let himself close his eyes as he pressed his lips to the crown of her head, offering a slight, yet awkward kiss. He didn’t know if he would ever get used to such a feeling such as pressing a kiss to her head. It was that physical contact she needed, that was what he was providing, his brain argued again. His daughter needed him right now, it was his duty to provide her with praise and contact and caring touches. He performed his duties with diligence, but also a twinge of fear. 

The more he read in the baby books, the more he began to question if he would be able to take on the task of being a father. If he failed, even in one aspect, what would happen to Kira? Would she fail to develop properly, would she be hurt, could she die? It was a spiral of questions that affected him in the dark nights when he tried to sleep. It was then that his heart would pound. The logic of his mind slipping away as he let his emotions and his heart open to the possibilities. 

Those nights were the hardest, as he felt like he should have Kira near. That way he could just check on her, know she was safe and sound. It seemed like, more often than not, when he arrived in Med Bay, Kira was always crying. What if she wasn’t being treated properly? What if she was unhappy here? He shook his head, knowing that wasn’t the case. He had the camera feed in this room wired directly to his holo-pad so he could check on Kira during the day and see if she was well. 

She had to be treated properly, and she would be. Her upbringing would be nothing like… Armitage sighed as he adjusted his daughter in his arms, shifting her up a bit higher, chuckling as she felt his hand moving some of his hair by his neck with her hand. “Such a curious one aren’t you?”

“That she is.” The nurse spoke as she brought in a fresh blanket and a bottle. “Always reaching for things she shouldn’t.” The nurse, whose name Armitage really needed to learn, shook the bottle vigorously before holding it out to him. “You haven’t had the chance to feed her yet. Just let her take it naturally and be sure to burp her afterwards. If you need anything—”

“I’m sure I can manage.” He shifted Kira in his arms, not enjoying the sounds of displeasure from Kira of being removed from her previous spot and snatched up the bottle. “If that is all.”

“Yes sir.” The nurse gave a little salute before turning away. “Oh, and the baby things have been delivered to your room. You can take Kira home tonight, if you would like!” The nurse gave him a big grin before finally leaving the two alone. 

Armitage settled back into his chair, taking the quiet moment in as Kira began to drink from her bottle. “Looks like you finally get to come home, little one.” He said. Kira of course didn’t respond, just kept pulling and sucking at the bottle before her. “And you are hungry. My, my. I may have to order more formula.” 

He let his fingers trail up over her strawberry blonde hair, feeling the softness between his fingers as Kira went on with her dinner. Speaking of dinner, he needed to have his eventually. He had completely forgotten about his own. 

Armitage scolded himself. He had to take care of his own health, otherwise, how could he tend to Kira? As if his body agreed, his stomach rumbled. The sound clearly shocked Kira, as her hands drifted from the bottle as she looked around curiously. 

“Not to worry, it was just me, not some monster from the closet.” He waited patiently until Kira had taken up the bottle again letting herself get fully engrossed back into her dinner. “I will see to it everything is ready for tonight. The bed is set, your changing table ready, all the monsters gone.” He allowed himself the little joke. “Then I shall come fetch you. You are finally able to come…home.” 

“Daddy, is this our new home?” 

“What have I told you?”

Armitage looked down at the ground, apologetically. “Sorry, sir.” He knew he had to address the general formally, but it was hard when he just wanted to talk to his father. Instead of worrying about it, Armitage looked around at their new rooms on the ship. “But, sir, will this be our new home?”

“Nonsense,” his father spoke. “This is just a place. Don’t bother with ideas like home and friends. They are weaknesses. Don’t disappoint me by being weak.”

“…yes, sir.” 

Armitage had to take a deep sigh as he looked back down at Kira. She had let her hands drift away from the bottle, her eyes starting to droop as he pulled the bottle away from her. He shifted her up on his shoulder, taking extra care with the burping cloth so as not to have his shirt soiled, and began to pat her back in the motion he was taught by the nurses. “Yes…it’s time. It’s time you came home.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Well, it appears I need to have a word with someone about organization.”  Armitage grit out as he looked around at his quarters.  The once organized and well-tended space was now just an array of chaos.  It was clear that whoever brought in all the things for Kira started out with organization, but it quickly descended into madness.  He would really have to send them for a psych evaluation.  The scene before him really was madness.

 

“Well…let’s see if we can find your bed, shall we?”  Armitage looked down at Kira, whose eyes were moving all over the room in silence.  She seemed to be caught up in all the colors and shapes.  She didn’t seem to mind the chaos.  “Very well.” 

 

The first thing he found was her carrier, a little basket-like thing to set her in while he tried to sort out some of the other things.  It was quick work, moving some things about and pushing them into designated areas.  Sure, it was still chaos and it still made his skin crawl a bit with how his quarters looked, but until he got his office (the second bedroom that would soon be Kira’s) set up, it would have to do. 

 

The basics were there.  The crib, on wheels thankfully, he rolled into his own room and locked into place in the corner.  The changing table had all the essentials at least around it.  There was an army of little clothes and toys and things.  He just pushed them to the side right now, only grabbing a handful to have ready for the next couple days. 

 

It was while he was looking through the toys, trying to find something to entertain Kira with that he froze.  There, sitting in the little box, was a toy that made his blood run cold.  All the planning, all the reading, he had missed a crucial and rather important detail.

 

Armitage reached out and lifted the plush, and very soft orange kitten toy from the box.  How could he have forgotten Millicent?  He moved quickly as the panic settled in.  He hadn’t even seen Millicent since he arrived.  Normally she would be curling around his legs and demanding dinner by now so where was—SHIT!

 

Armitage froze, hoping that no sudden movements wouldn’t cause a change in the scene before him.  He slowly shifted forward, praying to whoever would listen that Millicent didn’t react poorly, or Kira have a sudden allergy. 

 

Millicent sat there on the edge of the carrier, staring down at the baby in curiosity.  She made no sound, no movement, except for her tail swishing back and forth in front of Kira’s face. 

 

Kira, on the other hand, seem fascinated by the moving object before her.  The cat was just a piece of a puzzle to her, and the only piece she really cared about was the tail.  Kira’s little hands reached out, trying to grasp at the moving target.

 

Dear god, if she gets a hold of Millicent’s tail she will get scratched for sure!  Armitage moved quickly then, snatching Millicent up off the carrier and setting her down on the floor a good couple feet away before settling on his knees before Kira. 

 

“You must be careful, little one.”  He offered up the cat toy…but that wouldn’t appease the now upset Kira.  She let out a wail as the pretty orange thing was taken from her.  Armitage’s face scrunched up in confusion as he tried to mimic Millicent’s movement with the toy.  He even set it in the same spot and swished the tail back and forth, but Kira still cried on.

 

“Well, now…this is safer, you will have to make do!”  He tried to argue, but of course, the week old infant didn’t care about that.  He was quick to sigh and unlatch her from her carrier, lifting Kira up and onto his shoulder as she sobbed out heartbreaking and ear-ringing sounds. 

 

Armitage began to bounce her gently, hoping to calm her.  But his lack of focus seemed to be the perfect opportunity for Millicent to strike, having been seemingly forgotten in the drama. 

 

“Millicent!  No, no!  Bad cat! Down!”  Armitage struggled, shifting his shoulders around as he pulled the balancing act of the century.  He had Kira at one shoulder, sobbing and wailing away.  Millicent had jumped from a nearby box onto his other one and was now trying to make her way over his head and to the baby.  “Damn cat, get off!” 

 

It was a circus act, one that would have went down in history as the most fumbling a father could do, Armitage was certain.  Him waving one arm like a lunatic, trying to grab at the ever-agile feline while the other had to stay secured around his daughter.  It was a performance that he swore would never be repeated. …It would be repeated at least once every couple of weeks. 

 

But to his amazement, between the motions and his yelling, Kira quieted.  Armitage couldn’t do anything but let his head fall forward as he gave into Millicent’s demands with an irritated sigh.  “If you so much as make her sneeze, I will give you to Ren as target practice.”  He growled out at his own pet. 

 

000

 

It was a grievous oversight on his part, for sure, but it did have a good turnout in the end, Armitage discovered.  Millicent was always around Kira, it seemed, just watching.  She would let her tail swing in front of the infant playfully, letting Kira bat her arms at it.  It nearly gave Armitage a heart attack when he was eating dinner that night and he heard Millicent yelp.  Kira had finally claimed that fluffy orange thing in front of her face. 

 

Of course, the sound and sudden movement scared Kira into a wail again.  Millicent was hidden under the bed for a good while, only coming out when she heard the can opening for her dinner.  Millicent slowly inched out, watching Kira with a scrutinizing eye.

 

“Now don’t look at her like that.  You got what you deserved for taunting her.  That will teach you not to do it again, won’t it.”  Armitage sat back as Millicent ate her food, laying Kira down on a blanket on the floor as she watched Millicent with fascination. 

 

“Such an eventful day.”  He spoke from his spot on the couch, watching both of them for a moment before glancing back at his data pad.  “And it is only the first day…” 

 

000

 

Putting Kira to sleep was easy enough, she loved to be rocked, apparently.  The nurses had offered him that information, as well as ordered a special rocking chair for him.  So, he rocked her, and read the next chapter in the baby book until she was asleep.  And when he did place his daughter into her bed that night, he had to chuckle as Millicent curled up at the corner of his bed closest to Kira, and just watched her for a while as Armitage himself let his eyes drift close.


	4. Chapter 4

General Armitage Hux has read a total of seven books on childhood, early development, and assorted topics to help him prepare for bringing Kira home. He had babyproofed his quarters, he now had little baby gates up everywhere, and he had all the supplies he could ever need for the first week of Kira being home with him. He had memorized lists and tasks that needed to be done each day, he had arranged his schedule so he could have Kira with him at his station during her ‘nap’ times, he felt prepared.

 

So why was he standing in his sleepwear looking down at his daughter with a confused expression. He glanced over to Millicent as if she would have the answer. But the traitorous cat just slept soundly…just like Kira.

 

She should have woken by now. The book said that in the first months, she would only sleep a couple hours at a time. He had prepared for this by training himself during the last week to wake at two-hour intervals to care for his crying babe. So why wasn’t she crying?

 

He let out a huff as he thought everything over, doing time calculations again in case he set the alarm wrong, thinking about how much milk she had taken for dinner and maybe that had been an issue. But nothing came to mind, she slept peacefully. Slept…She was just sleeping right?

 

Armitage’s hand struck out quickly, resting gently on his daughter’s stomach as he waited. He held his own breath so he knew it was accurate. One second…two seconds…Oh, by the stars was she not?!

 

A breath.

 

Armitage let out a relieved sigh as he gently rubbed Kira’s belly. A shift of a smile drifted across his features as Kira shifted in response to his touch.

 

“Such a quiet one, aren’t you?” He mumbled to her. “A blessing, really, to have such a well behaved little one.”

 

He smiled down at her as she settled back down into a sleeping position. But for a moment, be began to wonder. His eyes glanced over to his clock, reading the time that he had set for her mid-night care. The book was clear that she should wake every couple of hours. There were always cases that were different, but… It also said that a schedule for feeding and such was important. Perhaps she just needed to be settled into this schedule?

 

Glancing down at Kira again, he felt a pull at his heart. He didn’t want to wake her when she was already sleeping so soundly, but…the schedule!

 

He steeled his heart and fixed his posture. “It is best for a set schedule. It must be done.” And with that thought, he reached in and plucked his sleeping baby girl up from her rest and settled her into his arms.

 

Her eyes opened wearily, making him chuckle in amusement. “Hello, there. You are quite a sleep one, aren’t you?” Even Armitage had to admit that his daughter was adorable… Everything would be fine.

 

000

 

“I am telling you it is not fine!” Armitage shouted at the speaker. He wanted to take care not to shout around Kira, but he had no choice if the voice on the other end wanted to hear him over Kira’s wails. “If everything was fine, she wouldn’t still be crying! Now get to my quarters, this instant, and examine my daughter!”

 

He slammed his hand down on the datapad angrily. “Incompetent nurse.” He moved his hand back around to hold Kira’s head against his shoulder, her wails seeming to lessen a bit when he held her like that. “Help is coming, my dear. Just a bit longer.”

 

Armitage hated this. He despised it. Her wailing cries not only grated on his ears, but it made him hurt, physically hurt. She sounded so hurt, so upset, but he couldn’t figure out what was wrong. She was fine for the few minutes after he picked her up, but then she started wailing!

 

He tried feeding her, changing her, humming to her, he even knelt down and waived Millicent’s tail in front of her. Millicent hated it, but it seemed to allow a short reprieve before the wails became louder.

 

Something had to be wrong, Armitage had no doubt now. She didn’t wake when she was supposed to and now she was in pain. “I’ve got you, you are safe.” He mumbled to her while cursing the nurse who still hadn’t arrived. “I’m so sorry you hurt. I will ensure it never hurts you again, but I need to know what it is.”

 

The lament that came from him even shocked himself. It was an unreasonable statement for such a reasonable man. If it was a virus or infection, he couldn’t protect her from that, but he would if he could. Armitage closed his eyes and hoped with ever passing moment the nurse would come through his doors.

 

When she did, it didn’t offer any answers.

 

“There must be something!” Armitage screamed at her. “Listen to her, she is clearly in pain!”

 

The nurse flinched, “General. I am sorry, but there is nothing wrong with her. She is not running a fever, her heart and lungs are strong, she is not hungry or needs changing, I have checked her over for rashes or cuts…” Her voice went off as she rubbed her temples. “Please, tell me what happened again?”

 

Armitage held back an irritated sigh as he bounced his daughter. He had told her so many times, why did she need to know more?! “I was holding her and she just started crying!”

 

“Sir, with all due respect, there had to be a catalyst for this tantrum.”

 

Armitage nearly growled out his answer. “Are you suggesting I did something wrong?” The nurse held her head high as she repeated her statement again, begging for more elaboration on what happened. “Fine. She didn’t wake for her two-hour care, so I—”

 

“What? What two-hour care?” The nurse eyed him as if he were a mad man. Although, in her defense, he did look like one. His red hair that was normally perfectly styled was disheveled, he had rips in his shirt from Millicent and the tail swinging, and had little tear and snot marks on his shirt from his daughter.

 

“The book said she would wake every couple of hours for care! When she didn’t I picked her up to offer it to her!”

 

The nurse just stared at him, a look of disbelief spreading across her features. “You…You woke a sleeping baby?”

 

The way she spoke made him feel like an idiot. He looked down at his daughter with a strange look. “I made her like this?” His voice sounded weak. He hurt his daughter? Her first night here and he was already making a mistake?

 

“Sir, it happens to each parent their first time around. Just, next time, let her sleep if she sleeps. She will wake you when she needs you.” The nurse seemed to calm as she watched her general begin to fret and frown with the conversation.

 

“But…what if I don’t hear her?” Armitage’s mind was screaming. When did he become such a worrier? When did he become the person who made these ridiculous mistakes?

 

“Sir, once again, with all due respect, I could hear her from two hallways away.” The nurse settled a hand on his arm, guiding him back to the rocking chair. “Just try to help her fall asleep and she will be fine.”

 

Armitage just nodded slowly as he began rocking the chair. He didn’t pay the nurse any mind as she left, he just stared down at Kira. Her face was red and puffy from her crying, her wails becoming more strained.

 

“I’m sorry. I did not know.” He spoke to her. For what it was worth, she calmed a bit at his words. “I know now, I won’t make the same mistake again.”

 

Armitage spent the rest of the night in that rocking chair. Kira fell asleep about thirty minutes after he began rocking, but he kept going. It was a spilt thought decision. Half of his brain feared even moving in case she woke again, and the other part, a soft part that whispered in his mind, just didn’t want to let her go after this trial.

 

And he didn’t. Not until she woke, on her own, a few hours later.


End file.
